GG Trilogy, Part One
by ChameleonZ
Summary: Takes after GG4. First fanfic, so PLEASE read and review! Can't think of another title. JUST READ IT PLEASE! I promise, story is way better than summary. please? :
1. Prologue

**G.G. Trilogy**

PART ONE

Epilogue

_Her knuckles were white _from holding the folder too hard and her eyes blurry from the tears she was trying to hold in. She stared again at the files on her hands.

Two snapshots of a man with dark hair and silver-flecked violet eyes stared back at her, one clear, and the other, blurry, but the silhouette was still recognizable. She remembers him so clearly, teaching her how to kill a man using only her bare hands, cooking breakfast everyday while he laughed at her mom for her lack of cooking skills, and the like. She turned her gaze to the text beneath it.

"…_taken in Egypt…suspects Morgan is still alive and looking for the blueprints…Cassandra Goode authorizes search immediately."_

Just hearing _her_ name made her head ache. She checked her watch. Her half hour was almost gone. It was time to go. She took one last look at her dad, folded the file and carefully returned it.

Her fingers barely left cold metal when the alarms started blaring

_CODE BLACK. CODE BLACK. CODE BLACK._

Shoes clattered above her and she darted out, avoiding the booby traps and whatnot. But the sound of shouting COC agents and alarms blaring followed her everywhere, and an agent managed to shoot her in the thigh. She ignored the pain that shot up her leg. She kept running until she found herself cornered in the deepest part of COC's Russia base. And it was a dead end.

Shoving a couple of file cabinets to the entrance, hopefully managing to buy her some time, she frantically searched the room for some means of escape.

There was something off about the right part of the wall. Running her hands through it' s surface she found a rectangle almost as tall as her and pried it open, revealing a dark tunnel that lead off to who-knows-where.

She didn't know where it lead to, or how it came to be but she had no other choice.

After quickly checking her bag for supplies, (She had enough food and water for almost two weeks.) she tied her aching leg up and limped in the tunnel, closing the door very carefully behind her.


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One

Cammie POV

I knew if I didn't get out soon, I was going to die.

All I had left was a tiny slice of uncooked meat and an almost empty water bottle. My leg hurt more than it did thirteen days ago, probably because the shot had gone it deep and I didn't have the tools or the time to fix it, which was obviously a mistake, since I could barely stand anymore. I needed help, and desperately.

But God must have heard my prayers because I saw the jagged silhouette of a circle and hurried toward it with my last bit of strength. I pounded on the rock until it gave, and the chilling night air ruffled my hair and blew in my face. I dragged myself to the nearest tree and propped myself up, wishing I could just lie there and sleep. But, being a spy, who knew what kind of animals lurked in the shadows? I could not take any chances. I sighed and started to move up, until I heard a low growl fill the air.

I froze, knowing it was no use to do anything else. I took the sharpest thing I could find, a dagger that was a gift from my dad. I didn't use it, because it was too precious for anything else. But this was kind of an emergency.

I caught a flash of movement in my peripheral vision and turned slowly around to see a pair of huge jaws dripping with saliva and yellow eyes glaring at me.

Oh, great. So, starving spy girl, with a bullet in her thigh and a dagger in her hand, versus a lynx who looked really hungry and wants to have girl for dinner?

Right. Stupid question.

But when the aforementioned girl is a spy, she doesn't give up without a fight.

It lunged for me and I dropped and rolled, and it hit the tree behind me. It turned and snarled, a high, whining noise that hurt your ears, and lunged for me again. This time, it didn't miss and I hit the ground with a solid thud.

I slashed at it's stomach but it deflected the blade with it's paw, but it couldn't eat my face and leave it's belly unprotected. I went on dodging, slashing, on different body parts, hoping to keep it distracted while I work out a plan.

The catch was, it was kind of hard to think of a plan when the thing your' e slashing scratches every exposed part of you, including a painful bullet wound in your thigh, where it's currently slashing at. Shocking pangs of pain shot up my leg and I had to exercise all my self-control not to scream out loud.

Something made a disturbing noise above the trees, but I was so focused on the lynx, I barely noticed it.

I heard the sound of something sharp whizz in the air and a dagger hit the lynx's right eye, and blood poured from it.

It moaned and released me. I held the bandage to my leg, hoping to stop the blood from pouring from the scratches it gave me.

I carefully inched away from the lynx. It didn't seem to notice.

I was ok with all of this, except for one thing;

That dagger wasn't mine.

x~x~x~x

It seemed to know I wasn't the one who hurt it, because it moaned again and turned to the trees. Something, or more appropriately, some_one_, shot a couple of arrows and it hit it's belly and left leg. It's snarl turned into a whimper and it collapsed into a heap of bloodstained fur.

I didn't have time to wonder about my mysterious savior because I had other things to worry about. After prodding if it was really dead, I sat up and examined my leg. The bandage had come undone. The gauze was hanging in strips and the small hole burrowed in my leg gaped at me.

I hate that lynx.

I heard a faint rustling of leaves above me, but it probably was the wind. I crawled to my bag, leaned against the trunk of the tree, took out the first aid kit, and reapplied the bandage.

I went to work on the other scratches, often having to clean the dirt that came from the lynx's paws with alcohol. It was slow and tedious work, but not one that requires much concentration. I found my mind drifting to other things.

Where am I? Maybe still in Russia? Probably a bit farther, since it had been thirteen days, and I had a vague idea I'd been going south. Nepal, maybe. I dunno. Maybe the person who saved me would tell me.

Who saved me, anyway? Indians? The COC? Highly unlikely, since the COC can't have any idea where I am now. I don't even know where _I _am. And are there even any Indians in Nepal? _They should teach us that in COW._ I laughed at myself for thinking that. But I was grateful for whoever saved me. Unless it were the COC _or _Indians who are saving the torture for later.

_God, I hope it's not Indians. _

I moved on to the worse scratches on my leg, and my mind turned to not-so-recent events.

I closed my eyes and I went back to the pigeon terrace, where I made my mind up about running away and look for answers.

_*flashback*_

_I didn't turn when I heard him. "He should be awake by now, shouldn't he? He's never going to wake up."_

"_Of course, he is."_

"_This is never going to be over."_

"_Of course it is."_

"_This is—" _

"_Cammie, listen to me. Don't talk—listen." There was fear in his eyes. "This isn't going to stop on it's own. It's not going away. We can't hide forever."_

"_She's your mother? You could have told me."_

"_No. I couldn't lose the one person who didn't see _her _when they look at me. I couldn't lose that."_

"_Is my father alive, Zach?"_

"_I don't know."_

"_She said he is."_

_Zach studied me. "She lies."_

"_We should be dead."_

"_I know."_

_We were only inches away, and yet we didn't touch. A spark of fire coursed between us. We had already seen our share of fire._

"_Why does everyone get hurt but me?"_

"_And me." He tried to laugh but faltered._

_My hand crept dangerously to his. "I'm not safe."_

"_Where will you go?" He eased closer._

"_I don't know."_

"_What will you do?"_

_I shook my head. "I don't know."_

_When he kissed me, it was hungrier somehow, as if this moment was all we had, and we had to taste it, drink it, savor it, and not waste a single drop._

"_Run away with me."I didn't hear the words. I kissed him again._

"_Gallagher Girl," he pulled away. "We can run. We can get off the grid and stay off the grid until it's safe. For everyone. We can keep each other safe."_

"_I can't. My mother—"_

"_Would understand." Zach snapped. "If no one knows where we are, no one can find us."_

_I thought it over, but I knew. "I couldn't leave with you, Zach." I kissed him lightly._

_He held me close and said, "I know."_

_*end of flashback*_

After that very emotional talk, I gave myself five days to take what I needed.

Three days after the last day of class, I went to the case with Gilly's sword in it and left my notebook there (it was done on purpose).

I went to Athens, Greece, where the safe house mentioned in my dad's notebook was. I got the vague feeling Zach was tailing me and I planned to find out if it really is Zach or some COC creep.

After booking a hotel not far from there, I sneaked out at every opportunity to the mansion.

The safe house was a huge mansion that looked like it belonged in Thailand. Strange, but on the other day, I found a notebook, (Mr. Solomon's I think) saying the 'directions' to the 'blueprints' were hidden in a safe location. From what I gathered, it was blueprints of every detail, passageway, etc. of the main COC base. It also said the blueprints are one of the most important for bringing down the Circle.

I was excited, of course and, after a few days of thinking, it was obvious where this location was but the feeling of someone watching me nagged at my mind. I stayed in Athens for a few more days, hoping to catch whoever it was on my tail.

But whoever it was was Goode. Then I found out it really was Zach, and I panicked and went straight to my hotel room, packed, and went straight to the airport.

He managed to follow me somehow. I practically held a knife to his throat once he got out of the plane. I did everything I could to shake him off and I succeeded, but only because I knocked him out cold (yeah, believe it or not).

I found the place where the directions were hidden but someone took them to another place, the COC Russian. I broke in, downloaded the whole file, almost got caught, and here I am.

_Wonder where he is now. _I thought miserably. He's obviously not tailing me because if he was, he would have insisted on coming with me. And I certainly won't be alone right now. I sighed.

I shouldn't have told him to go. I should have let him do what he wanted, he knows how to take care of himself. I laughed half-heartedly at myself but I know deep down, I wouldn't ever forgive myself if someone gets hurt _again_ for me. Especially Zach.

I seriously don't know what's really going on between Zach and me. Okay, maybe I do, and maybe I'm right, but I don't want to acknowledge it because things were already complicated enough without my boy problems. Just look what happened to Josh.

My life sucks.

_Whatever happens, I will _never_ let anybody get hurt because of me again. _ I guess that meant no distractions. No distractions meant no Zach.

I sighed again.

I just finished sealing the last of the scratches when strong arms grabbed me from behind, lifting me off my feet. I threw my head back to crush my captor's nose, but then I was turned and I got a glimpse of ink-flecked emerald green eyes before I was caught in a very intense make-out and the thoughts that I just promised to myself I would not let distract me came out of their places and nearly drowned me. One of the arms loosened their grip on my waist and went up to cup my left cheek. I moaned and barely felt the pain of some of the scars I had.

It was _that _goode.

He finally let go, long enough for me to take a breath and go back to earth.

"Zach?"

He smirked his world-famous smirk, and said,"Hey, Gallagher Girl."


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Zach POV

Before I start, let me fill you up with my part of the story.

So, after my little chitchat with Cam, I grabbed some coffee from the cafeteria, and went straight to my room. Vacation was two days away and I concluded she needed a few more days to get ready.

From what I read in Mr. Solomon' s journal, the strongest lead I had was the safe house in Athens, Greece. I'd bet anything that's where she will go too.

_-skip seven days—_

This was my third day in Athens.

I booked a room in a four-star hotel near the safe house, and I've been tailing Cam (disguised as a brunette with black eyes) since I saw her. She doesn't seem to notice me. I didn't bother installing bugs in her room, because she would probably find them anyway.

I _did _install a few bugs in the safe house, though. She was always sneaking out to check it out, but she didn't even look for them. Of course, I sneaked out too, but under another disguise so she won't get suspicious.

The safe house was practically a mansion. When I asked people about it, they say it has been abandoned for a while, except for some people that just come and go (most probably CIA agents).

The safe house's architecture was Thai-themed. Somehow, that tiny detail bothered me. Maybe it was because I don't really understand the reason why Morgan and Solomon chose a safe house that fitted better in Thailand than in Greece. You have to admit, it was kind of weird.

On the fourth day, I found a notebook stating that Mr. Solomon hid the 'directions' to 'the blueprints' in a secure location. Vague hints from the text say that they were blueprints of the main COC base in an unknown location, secret passageways and whatnot included.

I don't think she knew about the blueprints yet, so I left the notebook on the table in one of the rooms she was likely to check.

I got the feeling I was going to be here for a while.

_-skip five days—_

I was tailing her in a wet market when I lost her.

After buying some fruits from the vendors, she unexpectedly turned into a well-hidden alley. Thinking it was something important, I followed her. The alley was empty. I was about to go back when someone attacked me from behind. I fell hard on the ground and felt that someone slap a napotine patch on my head.

The last thing I saw before I passed out was a pair of silver-flecked violet eyes.

_-skip fifty-nine minutes—_

I woke up in my expensive suite with a huge hangover.

I didn't know if she knew who I really was, so I hacked into her hotel's records and found out she left twenty-seven minutes ago. I grabbed my things and was already riding a cab to the nearest airport in thirteen minutes.

_-at the airport—_

You know, I think I figured out where the 'secure location' is.

The safe house was Thai-themed, right? The nearest flight was officially leaving to Thailand in ten minutes, and the plane was fully booked.

_Thailand? _Then it clicked. The house's design was Thai, right? And the shelves on the walls that were not packed with books, were overflowing with souvenirs from Bangkok, Thailand.

_Bangkok, Thailand. _That was the location in the notebook! It was a long shot, but something to think about. Cammie probably knew it before I did. Smart girl.

I checked for other flights but the next one was leaving in half an hour.

Seven minutes.

If I catch the next flight, she will be long gone by the time I get there.

I went in the maintenance room and went out disguised as a flight attendant. Walking casually, I skipped the line, greeted the manager, and went on the plane.

Mission accomplished.

_-skip two and a half hours—_

I didn't know it but this was the end of my line.

As soon as I got out of the plane, my hands were twisted behind my back and Cammie was holding a knife to my throat. She dragged me to an isolated corner and glared at me.

"What are you doing here?"

I simply gave her a look and said calmly: "I'd gladly answer that question _if _you aren't holding a knife to my throat."

She released me and I rubbed my throat where the knife scraped me. "What was that for, anyway?"

"I wasn't sure who you were," she said, shrugging. "Sorry."

"And I think you know what I'm doing here."

Her expression hardened. "I can do this on my own, Zach."

"Are you sure, Gallagher Girl?"

She looked away. "Yeah, of course I'm sure." It sounded like she was talking to herself.

I smirked. "You're lying."

"So?" she sighed heavily. "I know how to take care of myself, Zach."

"How are you sure?"

The corner of her mouth twitched. "I forgot how annoying you are."

"I'm not easy to forget."

"Look," she sighed, exasperated, "I can't afford to waste my time talking. I have more important things to do."

I cocked an eyebrow. "Like looking for certain directions to very secret blueprints?"

She looked mildly surprised. "So you know."

"I know a lot of things that you don't."

"I don't doubt that." She turned. "I'm going.'

"You know, I'd rather go with you. I'm quiet restless."

"Zach, I don't need—"

"Trust me. You do."

Needless to say, we talked a little bit more and she made it look like she was going to kiss me but she knocked me down and must've put a hundred napotine patches on me. It was very embarrassing, to be knocked out by a girl. But hey, she 1) caught me by surprise, 2) is a spy, and 3) she's _Cammie._

So then I woke up in a plane heading to Tibet (don't ask me how she did it) and I went to the Cave for a little 'vacation'.

On my eight day out here, I couldn't sleep so I went out to have a harmless nighttime stroll.

You can take it from there._  
><em>

x~x~x~x

Zach POV

_*back to present*_

"What are you doing here?"

I gave her a look that clearly said I thought she was getting boring."I really don't know why that's the first thing you usually say to me. Ever considered changing lines?"

She frowned and pulled away from me."Just because you kissed me several times doesn't mean you could smart-mouth me anytime you want." She picked up her knapsack and I noticed she was limping.

"What happened to your leg?"

"None of your business."

"I saved you from the cat."

"I could've done it myself-"

"Yeah, right."

She glared at me one more time. "Zach-"

"Ok, calm down. Have you gone loco or something?"

"The last time I checked, you were in a plane heading for Tibet."

I shot her a pitying look."Gallagher Girl, this _is _Tibet."

The shock was evident."What?"

I snorted. "You thought it was still Russia, didn't you? But honestly, time _does_ pass when you're underground."

She stared at me."Youv'e been there before?"

"Actually, no. It was just a guess."

"You're impossible."

"Touche."

She opened her mouth to snap a retort but something rustled the trees and she hissed,"_not here."_

I nodded to tell her I agreed and motioned for her to follow me. Unfortunately, we hadn't walked over a few meters when she tripped over a log. She gasped in pain and I caught her by her arms and steadied her.

"I knew there was something wrong with your leg."

"I can...tell you...later. Just _help me."_

I smirked at her."That's good enough for me." I hooked one arm under her legs and one under her back. I started striding purposefully towards the Cave.

"I didn't mean _this!_," she protested weakly."This is completely uneccessary."

"Give it up."

"Fine."She glared at me one last time before asking,"Where are you taking me anyway?"

"You'll see."

* * *

><p>R&amp;R!<p> 


	4. Chapter Three

_"Where are taking me, anyway?"_

_"You'll see."_

x~x~x~x_  
><em>

I wanted to close my eyes and sleep forever but now wasn't the time. "You know, I hate it when people say that,"I said, oozing with sarcasm,"The suspense is just _exciting_."

He ignored me. "You're really heavy, you know." He smirked at me again. "Tell me, what did you eat while I was gone? A hundred pounds of junk food?"

I shot him a look that clearly said _'are you stupid?". "_I just spent two weeks in a tunnel, and you tell me I must have gained a few pounds? What is _wrong_ with you? Or maybe...", I added wryly,"the _in_famous Zachary Goode is growing weak. So, I was thinking, if carrying girls around is affecting your health, maybe you could let me down now, yes?"

"That's wierd. Only my mother is known to 'Zachary Goode' me." He playfully scrutinized my face. "Are you my mother?"

The playfulness left my voice. "You know I will never be like her."

He turned serious too."I know._"_

We didn't say anything for the rest of the walk. The awkward silence filled the air like thick syrup. Then I was distracted by the sound of waterfalls.

"Zach? Are we going to jump again?" We looked at each other, and I remembered the mission at Blackthorne, where I knew that _she _was Zach's mom.

He finally tore his gaze away."We're not jumping." he said."We're going behind it."

x~x~x~x

_"Behind _it?",I repeated. Let me tell you, the last time I went behind waterfalls wasn't such a good memory either.

"Yep."

I groaned. "Lovely."

He glanced at me worriedly. I got the feeling he knew about what I was just thinking about."It's safe, Cammie. That's why I went here."

Well. He said Cammie, not Gallagher Girl, so I had to assume he wasn't lying. "What about that lynx, though?"

"I hunt them. You know,"he said to my puzzled expression," for food."

"Yikes." I wrinkled my nose."How do they taste?"

"Different. Bear's the best when you wrap the meat around apples, then roast it."

I grinned at him."When you do that, let me know, okay? I want to be the judge of that."

He grinned back."Anytime, Gallagher Girl."

By this time, we reached a waterfall surrounded with sharp rocks. Zach held me tight and started jumping lightly on the flattened surfaces, towards one of the biggest rocks near the falls.

"Watch carefully." He traced the almost-invisible outline of a letter _Z _carved in the rock. A rectangular shape jutted out and formed a doorway big enough for a teenage boy to fit through.

"I hate tunnels." I muttered as he began climbing up, the sound of rock grating against itself echoing in my ears.

"It's not a tunnel, it's a cave," he said half-heartedly.

"Confined spaces are all the same to me."

He hesitated."Me too," he said,"That's why I spend most of my time outside."

The Cave was large enough to host two people. It was furnished almost like a hotel room, not counting the roaring fire that burned brightly in the center. Shelves were lined with comms units and whatnot and a laptop sat on the corner of the bed. Even the floor was covered in a tawny, furry carpet that looked like lion's hide.

"Not bad,"I said grudgingly."Where did you get this stuff?"

"I stole some of my mother's credit cards when I ran away."

He set me down on the bed before I could ask another question. The heat that came from the fire thawed my frozen limbs, and somehow, it made me bold enough to ask a question he probably wouldn't answer. "Zach, why did you run away from Blackthorne?"

He didn't answer me for a minute."I think you know the answer to that, Gallagher Girl."

I thought about that. "Actually, I don't."]

He stared at me incredously."Yeah, right. You didn't even _suspect_ it's because of my mom? 'Cause it's kind of obvious. Maybe you really need a break."

"Well,"I stared back at him,"Maybe. But something tells me there's something more to it than just your mom being the director of the Circle."

He stood up, grabbed something from one of the shelves and tossed me a towel and a t-shirt."That shirt shrunk in the wash."He went back to the fire ."We'll talk later."

I stood up and my stomach grumbled. I tried to ignore it."You didn't say no,"I observed,"And exactly how 'later' is _'later'_?"

"I didn't. Say no, I mean. And how about after you take a shower and eat something?"

Well, I _am _pretty hungry. "Do I smell that bad?"I pretended to be hurt.

He smirked and flipped his hair out of his eyes (which, in the firelight, made him look more like a combination of a Greek God and a really bad boy). I did my best not to swoon.

"No offense Cam, but you stink. Like old tunnels and dead animal."

I cocked an eyebrow. "Which way's the shower?"

He gestured to a rectangular doorway carved in the rock. "Take your time."

I picked the shirt(and towel). I breathed in the familiar, good way that Zach always smelled like.

"Thanks."

He looked up at me."For what?"

"For everything."

* * *

><p>R&amp;R!<p> 


	5. Chapter Four

_"Thanks."_

_"For what?"_

_"For everything."_

_x~x~x~x  
><em>

The water was so cool and fresh I immediately decided it came from the waterfalls.

I washed the grit from my hair,trying to ignore the mental image of Zach in_ that very same shower; _not a bad image, but obviously _not _appropriate.

I dried my hair with the towel and put on the shirt. The sleeves were slightly too long, so I folded them once. I put on a clean pair of wool jeggings (jeans plus leggings), taking care not to loosen the bandages, and combed my hair.

Then I went out. Best not to keep Zach waiting.

%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%%$$%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

When I came in feeling totally clean again, Zach was fiddling with the dagger he used to kill the lynx. He carefully placed it beside the laptop when he saw me. I dumped my bag near the shelves.

Zach broke the silence."I couldn't help but notice there's something wrong with your leg."He added,"Did something happen to you in Russia?"

"How did you know it was Russia? I didn't tell you about that,"I said.

A smirk played at his lips. "Spy."

I rolled my eyes. "I knew you were going to say that. And why should I tell you what's wrong with my leg?"

"So we could do something about it. And,"He pierced me with his emerald-green-flecked-with-black eyes,"Where were you after you trapped me in the plane?"

I hesitated before telling him before telling him the whole story. After that, he told me his and that was when I knew we both know about the blueprints.

"You found the directions?" he asked me.

"Yeah, kind of. But not in Thailand. It was taken to another place because of 'enemy breach'. I broke into Russian Intelligence and found out tracking the blueprints would be like a wild goose chase. Mr. Solomon and my...Dad took turns hiding it and leaving clues on where they left it. Russia was just one of their stops."

"Okay, I got that." He stood up and searched for something under the table. He muttered something when he found what he was looking for. It was a first aid kit."I saw you wrapping your leg after I killed the lynx," he explained.

"You spied on me!" The words were out of my mouth before I realized how cliche I must have sounded like.

He didn't fail to release the comeback. "Spying is what spies do, Gallagher Girl. Unless you didn't know." He studied my legs, which made me uneasy, so I pulled them back and hugged my knees. Zach ripped his gaze away with an expression on his face that was either embarrassment or disappointment or possibly both. It was gone when he saw me staring at him.

"You're better than you think you are,"he said mildly. "Do you know that?"

If I only read his words, I would have thought he was mocking me. But the way he said it, suggested it was the exact opposite of an insult.

I didn't want to ask him what he meant, so I replied,"Yeah, right. Are you going to fix me up, or not?"

"That depends, are you going to show me where-?"

I thought about my options for a minute, then decided it wasn't worth it. To do it myself, I mean. How was I supposed to know what kind of bullets the Circle used? I haven't yet had an experience in where I had to dig a bullet from my skin (Like, _ew_). Plus, if Zach dares to make a move on me, I will kill him. And I bet he knows _that. _That's why I slowly rolled up the jeggings on my right leg until the hem was five inches below my butt. Some of the bigger raw scars were still bleeding.

Zach watched the whole thing quietly.

"Don't do anything that would make me regret doing this, deal?"

He smirked. "Deal."

I nodded. I stretched my leg out, wincing slightly when my muscles moved. I started unclasping the buttons I sewed on with my own hair, (who knew hair could be substituted for thread?) when Zach gently placed his hand over mine, and said,"I'll do it."

I swear the temperature rose a hundred degrees. I could barely manage to whisper back my reply."Sure." I was in no mood to argue.

Zach unclasped the remaining button and unrolled the wrappings. I felt shivers (the good ones) rain down my back each time his fingers accidentally (or intentionally, depending how you look at it) grazed my skin. I only found out how fast the beating of my heart was accelerating when the wrappings were completely removed.

My skin pricked with cold where the air touched it. He tentatively prodded the wound. I shivered again, but I didn't think it was from the pain or the cold.

I didn't say anything until the bullet (which is something I've never seen or heard of before but we'll get to that later) was lying in a bowl of antiseptic fluid.

"Do you know what kind of bullet that is?" I said the question partly because I was curious, but mostly because the Cave was all too quiet for my liking.

He stopped halfway in the act of spreading some kind of gel on one of the bigger scars. "I'm not sure. Maybe I have seen it before on one of the files on her desk." He went back to the scar."I'll check later."

"You sneaked in-?"

He gave me an exasperated sigh."Always the tone of surprise."

I shrugged lightly."I thought you're scared of your mother?"

"Don't call her my _mother._ I'd rather believe we're unrelated. And I'm not scared, it's more like...careful?"He said the word like it just occurred to him. "If she catches you doing something forbidden...well, let me say that you've never seen her angry. _Yet_."

"I wasn't planning to."I glanced at him curiously."Do I _want _to know what 'forbidden' things you were doing?"

"No. Yes." He started re-applying fresh bandages to my legs, skimming his hands lightly over them to make the wrappings lie flat. My breath caught in my throat."Maybe. My running away was one of them, but I wasn't exactly careful, if you know what I mean."

I agreed. "Mine wasn't legal either. My mom will probably kill me when I get back." And Macey and Liz and Bex. Especially Bex. Though her reasons for killing me wouldn't be exactly the same as the other's. A thought occurred to me and I added,"How were you included in the Gallagher-Blackthorne exchange if you ran away? Did you go back? I mean, you can't just walk in and- you know."

He didn't answer me until the wrappings were secure."It wasn't like I had a choice. Solomon himself came to fetch me."He closed the kit."You're done, by the way."

I barely heard the last part."_Mr. Solomon _went here to get you himself?" I heard myself saying."You must be really special."

"I never thought of it that way,"He pushed the box under the bed."But thanks."

I tested the leg. It still ached a bit, but it felt a lot better.

"Have you done this before?"

"Once or twice, but never before to a Gallagher Girl."

I almost smiled at the nickname."So. Tell me about Blackthorne."

He avoided my question by falling back on the covers, grabbed an apple from the bowl, and took a big bite.

"Zach." I complained. "Spill."

I've never seen his ink-flecked eyes look so vulnerable. This was one of the times I actually saw the weak side of Zach Goode. It was always unnerving. His eyes were almost a clear emerald green, only a few of the black flecks were left.

He looked away."What do you want to know?"

I decided on what I thought was the easiest question."This is the Cave, right? Why did you come here?"

"To get away from my mom. What else?"

"Well...,"I got that squirmy feeling you have when somebody's not telling you something. Which, if that somebody is Zach, doesn't take a genius to figure out. He _always _knew more than he was telling. "I get the feeling there's something you're not telling me."

He hesitated. Then sighed."Yeah, there is. But you don't have to know that."

I thought about my response throughly."If you don't, I'll run, fly to the nearest airport, and give myself up to the Circle. _Right now."_

"You wouldn't."

"I would. In fact, I'm going right now." I picked the bag up and fast-walked (as fast as I could with my leg) to the direction of the exit, trying to hide the grin on my face.

"Okay, okay. You win, come back here _now_."I almost laughed from the desperation in his voice.

_He must really care about you _said a voice in my head. _I know that _I told the voice_. _

"Did I give you a scare?"

"Yes," he admitted.

"So, what was it you weren't telling me?"

"It wasn't just my mom. It was Blackthorne."

I raised an eyebrow."Explain?"

"The education there was...terrible. When I was younger, they'll starve you if you can't execute a perfect Taung Maneuver." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I was only four at that time."

I was shocked. "They do this to that to _four year olds?_ That's completely evil."

"That's assassin training for you. Do you want to hear more?"

I shook my head viciously."Don't. What else did they teach you?" a question occurred to me. "How did you use a dagger so well, then?"

He didn't say anything for a minute.

Then with a move that seemed like it was a reflex, he snatched a knife lying on the table near him and flicked it away with a swift and graceful motion. It turned over once in the fire light and landed twenty yards away, stabbing the direct bull's eye of the dartboard hanging on the other side of the room.

It happened in less than a second. I was speechless. "How did you _do _that?"

"Suppose you had to throw that knife across the width of twice this room into a canvas sack, glazed with tar, stuffed hard with sawdust and is no larger than an apple."

"Okay..."I could tell there was a next part, and the next part, wasn't good.

"And if you failed to stick it once in every three times, you got five strokes with a half-inch rattan across your bare back by the end of the day."

My blood boiled in my veins. I tried to hide the shake in my voice."Did that happen to you?"

"Once or twice."He glanced at his watch."I've said enough, I feel."

I shook my head. I asked the question that instinct made me ask."Did that happen to the others too, or was it only you?"

Zach took another bite out of the apple."Only me."

He threw away the core of the apple and made enough space for me to fit on the bed. He looked at me knowingly."We'll talk later. Go to sleep."

I knew it would be no use to argue."Fine."I threw the covers over my head."Later."

My excitement level dropped and I only felt exhausted. I closed my eyes.

I was vaguely aware of something warm and strong circle my waist.

And all I did was sigh in relief because I knew I was in safe arms again.

* * *

><p>R&amp;R!<p> 


	6. EXCERPT

**Okayyy, since you've been generous about the reviews, I decided to release an excerpt on something I am working on. I'm kind of stuck with G. Part One now, so I'm SO SO sorry!**

**My mind has been wandering. This just kind of came to me, and I still don't know what to do with it, but it has something to do with vamps. BTW, if you people know a great vampire series, please let me know, so I can read it and develop this fanfic for that series.**

**Enjoy!**

Prologue

No escape.

The sound of my boot steps were steady, like a heartbeat, a pulse. It almost soothed me, numbing my senses.

Almost.

I turned right, then left, then left, a right, left, right, right, and left. Then I ran smack into a wall.

Dead end.

Not bothering to search for escape,(since I knew there was none), I just stood right there, awaiting my fate.

My death.

Soundless pattering of five-inch heels on metal. Three feminine figures silently rounded the corner, moving with abnormal swiftness, hardly a sound (even if wearing five-inch heels).

Vampire swiftness.

The air in front of me filled with a sickly, cloying, sweet smell, and I held my breath. The smell slowly turns off your brain, so you can't feel or do anything while they feed on you.

The smell grew intense, and suddenly, three seemingly-teenage girls wearing cheer leading uniforms were standing in front of me, their fangs bared maliciously.

I took a deep, unintentional breath. My first mistake.

My vision blurred and gray creeped from the edges. I lost control of my legs and I tried not to breath once again.

Kesha, the strawberry blonde, shot me a pitying look."Nice try." She slid her weight on her left leg. She stared hungrily at me with pale blue eyes, and I wondered how I used to look at her with trust and respect.

Alicia, the sneering platinum blonde with Kesha's pale blue eyes, said nothing, but she seemed to be enjoying the hunt. We've never been friends, me and her. I only tolerated her because she was Kesha's sister and Trisha's friend. She was too snobby for my taste.

Which to say, didn't improve a bit, because I now know the truth.

Trisha, with her mousy brown hair seemed like the only regretful person in the room. She kept shooting me _I'm-so-sorry_ looks from her pale gray eyes, and even though I knew she was drink my blood, I couldn't help but forgive her. Because, if a vampire feels sorry for the human she's about to eat, that would be good right?

Wait. Who was I kidding?

I choked. I couldn't stand not breathng anymore. I drew a deep breath, not caring about the numbness.

I was going to die, anyway. Did I want to feel my flesh ripped out, and my blood sucked out of my veins? Oh, _hell,_ no.

I collapsed to my knees, but I barely felt it. My supply of air was cut short, but I didn't pay attention to it.

Kesha laughed humorlessly, her eyes glowing with a predatory light. "No use killing yourself, my dear Lily. you know very well dead blood will still be very useful to us." She pronounced the 's as 'th, the letters slurring around the frost-white fangs sprouting from her teeth.

Alicia's grin was somehow made scarier by her fangs, which were longer than the other's by a few inches, and whiter, as if she spent all her free time brushing her teeth.

Shakily, before the numbness could get to my brain completely, I opened the locket around my neck. the gracefully beautiful image of my mother swam with my tears.

_I'm so sorry, mom. I failed._

I felt my hand slide away, and the gold chain snapped from my neck. In a dreamlike stance, I saw myself flinging the locket into the corner.

It was the last thing I could do for my mother.

The locket would be certainly safer if the KAT's wouldn't find it, and bring it to their master. It would be safe if the locket's darker secret will be unknown to most, except the Kane's.

I mentally prayed the KAT's didn't notice.

Fortunately, they didn't. I felt a subtle, draining sensetation from my right arm and realized it was bleeding. No wonder why they didn't notice me throwing the locket.

I closed my eyes and visualized everyone I cared about- Massie, Clary, Natalie, Tiger, James. And finally, my mother.

I didn't feel or hear the KAT's come closer.

I clung to these images with all my will, never letting go.

And the KAT's fed from me and I died.


	7. Chapter Five

**SO sorry again, I took so long to update. I'm sad to say I can't promise you faster updates. :(:(:(:(:( School is such a B**CH. We just had our first exam this afternoon. And homework is piling up like hell. Jesus. I dunno why school just _kills_ me. I'm only twelve years old; I don't want to die that early.  
><strong>

**And life is _very _stressful.  
><strong>

**Anyways, enjoy chapter 8! **

Chapter 8

_Cammie starts running, flinging her heels behind her, barely missing a masked-covered figure running behind her. She kicks a padlocked door open with her bare feet, and frantically climbs the stairs, the masked figure gaining on her._

_ Cammie, still running, doesn't look back as she rips the tight hem of her gown so she can run more freely. She goes higher up the stairs, keeps on running, even though she doesn't know where she'll end up._

_ The masked figure gets closer behind her, blond hair rippling in the moonlight._

_ Chasing her._

_ Herding her._

_ Only Cammie doesn't know that.  
><em>

_ Cammie reaches a metal door slightly ajar, and, seeing as there were no more stairs, barges through it._

_ Her first mistake._

_ The room was completely made of mirrors. It was _empty, shaped like a pentagon_, and_ fifteen meters wide_, she thinks. Cammie finds it hard to tell, because her reflection keeps jumping at her from the dizzying walls-and-ceilings-and-floors mirrors, some the same size of her fist, some bigger than her head. _

_ Cammie forces herself to concentrate on one of her bigger reflections and notes how frightened she looks with her red dress torn at the hem, caramel blond hair a windswept, tangled mess, and wide eyes. Her feet were sore, bleeding where skin scraped rough surface. Her chest and shoulders were heaving._

_ Cammie senses movement and turns. But before she could react, he struck fast and hard, his fist a piston firing at her lower back. She gasps, her vision goes black at the corners, and collapses to the floor, her kidney on fire. The pain shoots through her leg and up her spine. She tries to get up, but it only made the pain worse._

_ The masked figure pins her to the floor again, and she bangs her head on the ice-cold floor. Her head throbs from the impact._

_ Then whatever miraculous substance that made dreams possible gives her a surge of energy and Cammie's hand found the figure's face and rips off the mask hiding his identity._

_ Her heart stops pounding._

_ She sees blue eyes._

_ She chokes._

_ And freezes._

_ And says._

_ "Josh?"_

_ Josh Abram grins at her, but not the nice, homely smile she once associated with him. It was a horrible smile filled with evil and promised malice. He speaks, but his words are clipped and tainted with mocking politeness._

_ "Hello, Cammie. Miss me?". He reaches for a knife she now noticed hanging from his belt. The knife had a vaguely familiar symbol on it's hilt._

_ Cammie tries to struggle, but he grabs her by the hair and bangs her head on the floor, but harder. Her vision grows blurry._

He used you_, says the voice in her head._ Cammie, you idiot, he _used _you.

_ Only she doesn't know what for._

_ She doesn't even scream as the blade pierces her heart._

x~x~x~x

The noisy ringing of an alarm clock woke me up. I cursed in German and buried my face in the pillow, trying to block out, which unfortunately, didn't work.

_ Wait _I thought groggily _What alarm clock? _I don't remember taking it out of my bag last night.

_ Zach._ Who else could it be? So I tried prying the plug from it's socket (until I found out there was _no_ plug). So I pried the back part open and took out the batteries, but it was too late. I was awake.

Something thin and white peeked out from under the disabled clock.

_Cammie,_

_ Don't worry about me. Do whatever you want, just don't go outside._

_ Zach._

I breathed a sigh of unexpected relief.

The old me should've felt annoyed he left me behind (I wouldn't have had that nightmare if he had) but all I felt was a mixture of relief and bewilderment.

Bewilderment because I felt like somebody ran me over with a truck.

Or stabbed me with a knife.

I shivered involuntarily. _Why did Josh try to kill me?_ In my dream, anyway.

What was that the voice told me? It wasn't easy to forget. _He used you. Cammie, you idiot he used you._ Is that a normal thing for a person to hear in her dreams? And why Josh?

Josh was innocent. He had been from the day I met him to the time I saw him in the walls of my school. He's probably in Roseville dating Dee Dee right now. He probably doesn't care about me anymore. He probably remembers me as a stuck-up rich snob that played with his feelings like they were pieces in a game. He's normal.

Innocent.

Do I still have feelings for him myself? I covered my face with my hands. _Maybe. No, not maybe. Yeah, you do, _ the voice went on relentlessly.

_Shut up! Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!_ I wanted to scream. This stupid voice has been driving me crazy since I ran away. And I _hate_ it.

Fine, maybe it was right at some times, and unfortunately, this is one of those times.

Josh had been my first boyfriend, my first kiss, and not even what I had with Zach changed that. If you asked me who I'd pick between the two of them, I wouldn't n be completely honest to myself if I said Zach.

I let out a breath and released the pillow I now realized I was hugging tightly.

I shook myself. It's just a dream, right? Dreams don't mean anything. Everybody knows that.

Right?

Even so, I wasn't ready to confess to Zach I had been dreaming about Josh, even if the dream was more like a nightmare. He'll probably be mad or concerned; I don't know. And, yeah, that would be awkward. He'll probably think I'm going out of my mind. What better option than to forget about it?

My stomach growled. I stood up carefully and rummaged through the shelves and managed to scare up a few bags of Doritos, a box of Krispy Kremes and found a bottle of cold water in a mini fridge.

Where did Zach get this stuff? The Krispy Kremes were not less than twenty-four hours old. A doughnut that tasted this fresh could could only be bought from a nearby bakery.

A gust of cold morning air reached me. I heard footsteps, put aside the half-eaten doughnut, looked up, and just _stared._

I was sure the climate was chilly outside, but instead of looking like he was freezing, he looked, well, _hot._

Ironic, isn't it?

Whatever remaining thoughts I had of Josh sunk well below the radar. Zach wore black jeans, combat boots, and a grey shirt under a beat-up motorcycle jacket. A pretty basic outfit, but it suited him better than it would most guys.

He smirked. "You're staring, Gallagher Girl. Didn't anyone tell you it was rude to stare?"

I ignored the intended pun. "Where were you?"

He shrugged."I cleaned the mess you had last night. Can't let the risk of somebody finding out somebody lives here go."

I kept on staring.

He took a Dodgers cap off it's hook and put it on. "Come on. I've got something to show you."

I grinned at him."Since when did you give surprises?"

"Since a few seconds ago."He started towards the door."Are you coming, or not?"

My stomach grumbled again. I looked at my clothes, which were still the ones I'd worn the night before. "Does it count breakfast?"

"Yeah."

I felt relieved."Thank God. I could do with some food."I looked at my clothes again."Can you give me a few minutes to change?"

There was his annoying smirk again."Sure. But I'd rather wait here." He tapped on the stone.

Oh. That explained the smirk.

So what? It was his decision to watch me strip. But I am _not_ going to give him the chance to do me. Hell, no. In the future probably, but not yet.

I shrugged. "Fine. But you are going to stay _exactly where you are_. Understood?"

He didn't seem surprised."Okay. Move it."

Damn. How can teenage boys be both so freaking annoying _and _hot? It was unnatural. But then, Zach ain't only a teenage boy, he's a trained teenage boy spy _and_ assassin.

Right. How confusing was that?

And when a certain trained teenage boy spy and assassin tells you to 'move it' you cannot resist telling him to:

"Shut up."

And he shut up.

I hurriedly changed from my jeggings to a pair of tawny jeans. I unbuttoned the borrowed shirt and put on a white shirt I paired with a matching tawny jacket. Macey helped me plan the outfit a long time ago, probably last semester.

I put on my sneakers. Do I have to mention I felt his eyes on me the whole time I changed?

I scrutinized myself in the reflection of the full-length mirror a few feet away. I looked okay, I think. Then I remembered the mirror room in my dream.

Screw it. The Josh nightmare was back again.

I pushed it away from my head, fully intending to forget about it. I strolled towards Zach, and followed him down the stairs.

When we got out, the thought of the nightmare still stuck to me like glue.

* * *

><p><strong>R&amp;R!<strong>_  
><em>


	8. Chapter Six

**BTW, I have never seen cat meat, let alone eat one 'roasted over a fire and glazed with freshly gotten honey'(I quote).  
><strong>

Chapter Nine

Cammie POV

"Damn." I said as I bit a juicy piece of cat meat roasted over a fire and glazed with honey from a nearby beehive."You don't have bad taste after all."

He smirked at me winningly. "Told ya."

"So," I said."Mind telling me why you brought me here?"

"That's only for me to know."

I gave him a suspicious look."You're not honey potting me, or anything, right?"

He gave me a dirty look."As if I would ever do that. I'm not like my mom you know."

I felt a bit guilty, but I didn't show it. I shrugged and rolled my eyes."Fine, calm down. Shouldn't we be enjoying the view?"

Zach had brought me to a tree, one of the tallest in the forest, by the looks of it. I was stupidly staring up, wondering how the heck was I supposed to go up _that_ when he tapped me on the shoulder from a low branch of another tree nearby.

He smirked at me (nothing unusual) and asked me if I was planning to stand there all day long. Annoyed by his cocky attitude (possible after-effect of nightmares?) I swung myself on the branch and smirked back at his mildly surprised expression.

After regaining his composure, he challenged me to see who's the first one who can reach the top.

I'd asked where the finish line was and he pointed out a cleverly camouflaged tree house perched on the top branches.

Then, without warning, he took hold of the next branch and climbed up like he'd 'done this all the time'(I quote).

Fueled by the natural instinct to win, I raced after him.

When we reached the top (Zach won by seven seconds), breathing hard and laughing at the same time, he playfully smacked my shoulder and said,"Not bad for someone with an injured knee." Probably in more sarcastic wording, but something around that line.

Then, to make a long story short, we chit-chatted while eating cat barbecue (I chickened out at first but he kind of convinced me [double meaning: he, uh, {_K-I-S-S-E-D_} me. Or made out with me. And I kissed him back. But that is totally _**not the point!**_]). So after that was a very awkward silence (actually, it was me [seriously] calling him a molester, which he [jokingly] shoved off).

Then he smirked and waved his hands to the exquisite view of the silver river surrounded by the lush countryside and said,"Shouldn't we be enjoying the view?"

And now I threw his words back at him. Take that!

Back to the present.

x~x~x~x

**BTW they already got down from the tree. Just so you know.**

x~x~x~x**  
><strong>

Chapter Eleven

With my hunger finally quenched, and the taste of the barbecue still lingering on my lips, I was in the mood to explore.

Not to mention, kicking some serious COC butts.

Unfortunately, all there was to kick were trees.

Zach snickered as I almost stepped into a pile of mud.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot there was_ somebody_ here who's ass I could kick. I think.

It was my turn to snicker as he slipped on the mud I'd just avoided and almost fell into the river.

He playfully pushed me from behind."That wasn't funny. For all you knew, I couldv'e really drowned in there."

"What, you don't know how to swim?"

He gave me an approving look."Now _there's_ the comeback I was waiting for. I was wondering where your sense of humor went."

"Shut up."

"That's the second time you told me to shut up this day."

I glared at him."Either you shut up, or I will kick your ass and drown you in the river."

"Wow,"He smirked, obviously not taking me seriously and added in a singsong tone,"Just like I feared-"

I dug my heels into the ground and, taking him by surprise, turned quickly to face him.

"Yeah, Zach",I breathed sweetly to his lips, we were so close,"Just like you feared."

I gave him a soft enough kiss, just so he knew this was a joke (and also, to lower his guard. insert big smile here), and pushed him roughly to the sparkling water.

I waited for him to resurface before grinning, and then said,"Who's laughing now?"

To my surprise, he grinned back, gestured for me to come closer, and replied,"I am."

I stayed there confused for about a second, but it was enough.

Pulling me by the arms, he dragged me underwater, and did not let me go until I scratched his hands.

After being freed from his firm grip, I broke the surface, and took deep gasps of air. I found him sitting on a nearby rock with an amused expression on his face.

I didn't have the strength to glare at him."You _asshole._"

He ignored the statement."The world is crawling with COC agents, and you manage to find time for a manicure."He didn't bother to hide the gratification in his voice."Genius."

I crawled on the rock beside him, my clothes dripping. I probably looked like an half-drowned cat. Then I noticed I wasn't shivering like jell-o, like I expected."You-"I tried to push him off the rock, but he barely moved an inch-"are _so_ dead to me. You could have drowned me, you jerk!"

There was his patronizing smirk again."Ditto, Gallagher Girl."

I hate that nickname. It gives me the shivers-the good kind- that I'd been trying to avoid for so long.

He smirked.

Damn the nickname 'Gallagher Girl'.

Damn him and his stupid smirk.

Damn everything about him that gets on my nerve.

Damn everything I find both annoying and appealing about him at the same time.

After that line of thought, I noticed I wasn't shivering at all, though the climate was cold. I swirled my hands in the water. It was warm. It didn't bother me though; there was probably some scientific explanation for it that I would've had more time to think about if my head wasn't filled with COC agents and...

I laid down on the rock and let the sun warm my clothes. It wasn't until I bothered to look that I catched him staring at me.

"You're staring at me." I accused.

He held up his hands."Who could blame me?"

I almost blushed. Almost.

I shrugged off my wet jacket."This was my favorite you know."

"I could say the same about my jacket."

I rolled my eyes. "I bet you're just saying that."

"Maybe. You never know."

My hair was starting to dry now. I sat up.

A bird -I don't know what kind- started singing in the trees. The river rushed on, as if there weren't two teenage spies sitting on a rock near it's shore.

The peacefulness of the moment seemed to wake my conscience.

This was the time for confessions.

It was now or never.

"Zach..." I trailed off, unsure of what to say next.

Of course _he _was never unsure. "What?"

"I need to tell you something."

He nodded.

"I had a wierd dream last night."

"Okay...what about?"

I could tell he wasn't that concerned. It was only a dream right?

But I could also tell he would be pretty interested soon.

I pulled my knees out of the water and hugged them.

"Josh."

* * *

><p>R&amp;R!<p> 


	9. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Zach POV

_"Josh."_

x~x~x~x_  
><em>

_I think I need to get my ears checked. _

"What?"

"Josh." She said his name again, even more softly than before.

I tried to look unconcerned. "What about him?"

A ghost of a smile touched her lips. "Relax, Zach. It's not like I had sex with him or anything."

Ouch. "Is it obvious?"_ Obvious that I'm jealous? _I finished mentally.

"Yep." She grinned, popping the P.

"Thanks a lot."I vented my feelings on the water, spraying a few drops on her.

"Stop that."

"So, if you didn't have sex with him, what were you planning to tell me?"

"I had a dream last night."

"Okay..." I said, unsure where this was going.

She looked like she was unsure too. Unsure of how to start. I looked at her imploringly.

She took a deep breath."Well, he was chasing me..."

She told me the whole story. When she got to the part where Jimmy stabbed her however, she faltered, as if she didn't think it was possible.

I didn't know what to think. Sure, I _thought _she was over him, but the disbelief in her voice removed all that useless babble in my head.

Not to mention, the unwilling affection in her eyes when she said his name.

_Stop kidding yourself, Zach._

Someone clearing her throat caught my attention, and I realized she was waiting for me to say something.

"I don't think you need to worry, Gallagher Girl."

She looked away, and directed her eyes towards the pale sun."You don't think it will happen? In real life?"

I forced myself to sound convincing. Time for that poker face I was so famous for."Don't worry; it won't. It was just a dream, correct? Dreams mostly don't come true."

"Mostly?"

This time, I didn't need to sound truthful, because I was."Yeah, mostly. I've always dreamed of a day alone with you."

She laughed, and twirled her hair around her fingers. Guess my dead-on honest confession went well. "Oh, fine. I guess I wasn't used to this part of Zachary Goode."

"What part?"

"The unsmirking part. You haven't smirked the past fifteen minutes. It's a miracle."

I smirked. "Well, you better enjoy this moment. Because I can't guarantee this would happen again."

"Okay."

A few drops of moisture hit my sleeves, but it wasn't from the river. I looked up to see thunderclouds rolling.

"Let's go."

The rain poured harder now."We'll be drowned before we could reach the Cave!"

I smirked at her through the rain and took her hand."Don't be so negative; I know a shortcut."

x~x~x~x

C POV

"This is more of a longcut than a shortcut." I grumbled after approximately seventy three minutes and thirty nine seconds. Actually, forty now.

"I don't know why you're complaining." He replied.

And as I glanced at the green canopy that kept the rain form pouring over my head ( For the eight time ) and the blue-and-turquoise pebbles under the rippling water, I couldn't help but agree; I had absolutely nothing to complain about.

"Okay. You win. This is actually kind of peaceful," I said, trying to brush off my earlier comment.

(Naturally) he smirked. His muscles flexed as he pulled on the oars. I transferred my eyes to his face. It did _not _help my speeding heart rate.

"Are we there yet?" I asked impatiently, and squinted into the endless leafy ceiling of the lagoon. I couldn't see any sign of an entrance or something.

So it surprised me when he suddenly stopped by a four-feet-tall mangrove and tied the boat on the stem of a bamboo before saying,"Tug on that branch."

I did as he told, lightly exerting some pressure on the tiny mangrove's branch. It shrank, and the shadowy emptiness of a tunnel stood before it's place.

_Well color me all impressed and shit._"You made this yourself?"

"Yeah." Then doing a little half-bow like a proper gentleman, he pushed me to the endless abyss.

* * *

><p>R&amp;R!<p> 


	10. Chapter Eight

Chapter Unknown

**~Circle of Cavan~  
><strong>

**Official Report  
><strong>

**MISSION H.C.M. #1793 REPORT**

**By Operatives A***** and Wilsons**

**To Directors C. and L. Goode**

Operative A***** has lost track of the subject in Thailand three days ago. Tracking device has lost connection somewhere in China's Great Wall. Operative Wilson is trying to fix the tracking problem.

However, Operative A***** has been hearing bits and pieces of conversation from an untrackable bug (possibly blocked by an expert). There were two speakers; a girl (probably the subject) and a boy (unidentified) The conversation is as follows:

August 19 2011

11:57 pm

_Girl:...never be like her..._

_Boy:...I know..._

12:36 pm

_Girl:...really special._

Boy:..._never thought of it..._

_A few minutes later:_

_Girl:...only you?_

_Boy: Only me.  
><em>

August 20 2011

07:58 am

_Boy: ...Move it..._

_Girl: Shut up_

_Sound of stone moving_

Truthfully, that was it. The Operatives are striving to recover the Subject's trail. Will report again when subject is found.

* * *

><p><strong>~Central Intelligence Agency~<strong>

**Unofficial F.C.M. Report# 39  
><strong>

**By Operatives Baxter, McHenry and Sutton**

**VERY PRIVATE**

So far, the Operatives have heard nothing about the subject's disappearance except for the following:

1)There was a considerable amount of lost money from Operative McHenry's bank accounts

2)Even Operative Sutton's incredibly high-tech bugs cannot detect the subject from wherever the subject is.

Two useless things that only told them the subject definitely has an awesome memory for bank account numbers (Operative McHenry's credit cards are black _and_ platinum) and a knack for hidden talents.

And that the Operative's subject may have more to show.

The Operatives will _not _give up.

* * *

><p>Cammie POV<p>

After half an hour of tramping through a muddy, dark underground tunnel and getting half-drenched by rain (which was more like a storm, actually. Zach's little shortcut wasn't that effective after all but at least I got to see him take his shirt off *grin*), before getting to a cave where we re-lit the fire again _and_ taking a shower ( {Sadly}we took turns of course.) we finally had the chance to discuss matters which (at that time) were more important than frightening dreams about your ex.

I scrolled down, hoping to make something out of the senseless writings I saw on the screen.

I vaguely noticed Zach tugging on my hair, and, after a few scan-overs, I gave in and turned my head to feel another pair of lips pressing hard and cold against mine.

Well...not that cold, actually. The roaring fire competed with the raging thunderstorm outside, and it won. His lips, were warm, hot even, and adrenaline rushed down from my spine to parts of me I didn't even know I had.

Burning. The fiery intensity of our kiss burned me.

His hand traveled down from my hair to the hem of my jeans, and the fire blazed hotter where his fingers grazed them.

I moaned, but though every cell in my body was screaming at me not to spoil this moment, I had to force myself to push him away, hands shaking and breathing hard.

We stayed like that for a while, my head on his chest, and his hand stroking my back while leaning on the rocky wall. The fire didn't diminish.

Zach was the first one to speak. "Wow. Where did _that_ come from?"

Me, for my part, was still too shocked to speak. All I did was to reach up and kiss him on the cheek, in hope of giving my instincts that little comfort like a fire extuinguisher.

I made myself speak."Z-z-zach-"

He smirked."I liked it, so don't bother apologizing."

That smirk helped me in stammering out,"Oh, shut up."

I pulled my hair into a ponytail and returned to the laptop. The flush in my cheeks remained.

Zach grinned and scooted over so my attempts that didn't help at all.

My skin glowed in the firelight as I continued scanning the file. It still didn't make any sense.

Then something caught my eye.

"Zach?" my voice came out as a whisper."Who's your father?"

* * *

><p>REview!<p> 


	11. Chapter Nine

"Zach? Who's your father?"

x~x~x~x

CPOV

He didn't answer immediately, but that was expected. I repeated the question again, unsure if he heard.

The next second, his arms were around me, and I was pressed between the bed and his body.

But I flipped my body so that it was him who was trapped. I locked him in a steel grip. I was in absolutely _no mood_ for making out with him.

That lying, deceptive _sonuvabitch_ that was keeping something _very important_ from me.

I had cracked the files...and it was Top Secret enough to be hidden in a Russian base.

But I. Didn't. _Care._

He should've told me himself. _If_ it was _him_ who told me, and I had not figured this out on my own, I might've forgiven him. But he didn't.

I stared at him, rage barely concealed by my silky tone."Zach. You didn't tell me about your mother, but I still knew. Now you won't tell me about my father, but now I know _everything._"

Regret, shame, and guilt swam in his green eyes. "Gallagher Girl, please-"

But I didn't want to do anything for him, _ever_ again.

My own eyes betrayed me. I shut my eyes as hard as I could to keep the tears from flowing. "Don't call me _Gallagher Girl._ Tell me the truth!"

"_Fine!" _He was mad now. He started fighting against my grip. "You want the truth? That I didn't know what I was doing? That I was just following orders? That if I didn't obey them I'd _die?_"

That did it.

I whispered coldly:

_"Then you should've died."_

"Cammie, I swear I had no idea I was supposed to do that - that thing."

"What, you couldn't kick a bunch of COC butts? I thought you could do anything. Except for saving my father's life, I suppose." I said, my tone dripping with sarcasm.

"I _did_ save him." Zach turned the full force of his green eyes on me. "Did you know _she_ told me -personally- that if I make a move, Ham would snap his neck."

Should I believe him? What if he was telling a lie?

And he'd lied more than his fair share of lies.

But what if he wasn't?

I settled on the less complicated question.

"Who's Ham?"

He didn't hesitate."One of _her _goons. Are you going to let me go now?"

"Not until I have the whole story." I tightened my grip.

He shifted uneasily under me."Okay. But can we talk outside?"

"So you have better chances at fighting me and running away? No thanks."

He sighed, as if he still didn't believe he could've done anything."I won't do anything."

_Why_, why, _why_ even after the files was I still helpless when he uses his eyes on me?

The next thing I said was a slip of the tongue.

"Cross you heart?"

Childish. I know.

But he answered me anyway.

"And hope to die."

I let him go. I watched him warily as he got up from the bed and put his jacket on.

I put on mine.

He led the way to the stone door.

I shadowed him, a cellphone-slash-gun bumping my thigh every time I jumped.

The stone door wasn't open yet, but I knew it wasn't raining anymore.

We went outside.

x~x~x~x

ZPOV

Cammie motioned for me to sit on the grass.

She was still saying nothing.

I shook my head."No way. It's wet, you know, it just rained."

If looks could kill, I would've been dead, courtesy of Cameron Morgan.

Still, I couldn't blame her.

It was her dad, after all. And her parents were not like mine.

I sat on the grass. She sat down beside me, then said in a barely controlled voice:

"Tell me everything, Zach. And no jokes."

I smirked.

She glared."And kill that smirk."

I stalled. What she wanted me to tell her wasn't a good memory.

"How much time do I have?"

"Fifteen minutes."

I gaped at her."Fifteen minutes? How am I supposed to do that in _fifteen minutes?"_

She ignored me."Starting now."

I took a deep breath."_She_ told me to shoot your dad so I could pass the stupid test, but I refused, so she did it for me. The end."

She grit her teeth."I want every word, you monster. _Every word."_

"But you said I only had fifteen-."

Her right hand twitched dangerously to her pocket. The gun.

I could tell she was in no mood to joke.

"Okayyy"I kept my tone nonchalant. After all, if I gave myself too much time to think, I might blurt out the story in the worst possible way.

As if Cammie wasn't already that mad.

I turned my eyes to the sun.

And I started talking, without interruption, except for the slightly too obvious, occasional glares she tasered right through me.

x~x~x~x

CPOV

He started talking.

"Five years ago, my mother took me to the main base."

He stopped, eying me to see what I was going to make of this.

I stayed silent.

"She took me to this metal room, and the first thing I noticed was the bloodstains on the floor."

Still nothing.

"She gave me a silver pistol, nothing special. Then she told me to shoot the next living thing I saw that wasn't COC. I didn't realize what she meant until the left wall moved.

"A man was bound in chains, still bleeding from the knife cuts on his arms and face. He glared at her, and if looks could kill, she would've been strangled, kicked, punched, shot, stabbed, drowned, suffocated, hanged, electrified, whipped, beaten, squashed, killed, many times over and over. By this man. Your father."

She stiffened, but was still silent.

"I refused to pull the trigger. I didn't believe in killing a defenceless person.

"She taunted me, threatened me, and tried a number of things to make me shoot him. But I didn't."

I stared at her pleadingly, trying to make her see my point of view.

She said nothing.

I continued. "After an hour of that, she laughed and told the whole operation that I wasn't yet ready for the test. That maybe I wasn't worthy to be her successor.

"The Circle is a monarchy. And when it comes to leaders, the Goode line is always present.

"I came close to being disowned. She trained me harder than ever. She hid her humiliation well, but I could always see she didn't forgive me.

End of story."

x~x~x~x

ZPOV

So, yeah. I told the girl I love about the worst thing I did in my life. Awesome. Not.

"That took seventeen minutes, but I'm willing to forgive." Cammie.

I stared at her like she was crazy. Who knows? Maybe she _is_ crazy.

"What?" Me of course.

"I forgive you." She spoke the words softly, but I noticed she didn't meet my gaze.

I grit my teeth. I hate it when she pretends to feel differently so I'd feel better.

I said,"No, you didn't."

She glared at me, indecision clear in her violet eyes. "So what do you want me to do, then? Hate you for the rest of my life?"

I returned the glare. "If that's what it takes."

"I can't do that."

"You could." I ran my fingers through my hair, something I do when I'm incredibly frustrated."Jesus, Cammie, could you just stop lying and tell me what you really feel?"

That set her up. She stepped toward me. I backed away, trapped between a tree and her.

"You want to know what I feel? _Fine!_ I feel like a _bitch_ for making you tell me this, but also mad -at _you_- because you're her son, as if it was your fault! I feel like I'm being ripped apart! I hate that I have to choose _you_ over _everybody else,_ just because I _fucking_ love you!"

Okay. The girl definitely needs her medication.

But. I felt a smirk growing on my face.

"You love me?"

CPOV

_Wow. Oh, wow._

I just said I loved him.

I glanced at the smirk on his face, and stepped away from him.

Then the unavoidable words."You love me?"

If you ask me if I hesitated, I could lie and tell you I did.

But the unfortunate, sadistic truth is that I didn't even hesitate for a hundredth of a second. Not even close.

So I said:"Of course I love you, you stupid, lying, worthless, smirking, incredibly hot _bastard_."

He looked lost.

I understand. Kind of.

I mean, if you just confessed to a person that you almost shot her dad, and did nothing to break him out, but instead of that person yelling and trying to kill you, that person just tells you that she _loves_ you, wouldn't you feel lost too?

I shook my head.

I've been here for almost three days. Maybe it was time to leave.

_Perfect, _the voice said_ Just why exactly are you doing this?_

Because I needed time to think. Again.

Zach had sat down was sprawled over the grass, staring at the sunset.

It was kind of romantic, really; a waterfall, the sunset, and birds chirping on trees.

But now wasn't the time. Yet.

"Zach?" I didn't like my voice; it sounded like I was about to cry, but at the same time, strong, like my decision was already made.

Funny, because I just decided ten seconds ago.

"Yeah?" He looked up at me. His emerald eyes were heavily shielded. Guess he knows.

I kissed him softly on his lips.

He held me there, and when I pulled away, the mask on his eyes were gone. They practically screamed _NO._

I tore my gaze away and left him staring at my retreating form as I walked towards the Cave.

"I'm sorry."I whispered to the wind, and willed it to send my message to him.

**Whoa. Intenssseee.**


	12. Chapter Ten

CPOV

~In the Cave~

Three hours have passed, and he still hasn't come back yet.

I threw another piece of wood to the fire, and watched sparks flicker from it like fireflies.

My food supply was restocked, with biscuits, dried fruit and bottled water from the cabinets (I highly doubt he would mind).

New, clean bandages and full bottles of anti's replaced the dirty stuff in the first aid kit.

My clothes were freshly laundered, and mud scraped from my shoes. Also, I kept the shirt he gave me.

Originally, I planned to take off, but the damn voice won't let me go without saying goodbye.

Five more minutes passed. I'd practically felt the sun go down two hours ago.

I felt annoyed. What was he waiting for?

If Zach was in an accident, which I also highly doubt, he could take care of himself. If he wasn't in an accident, if he stayed there the whole time I've been packing, well...

If he wasn't coming to me, then I'm coming to him.

x~x~x~x

CPOV

~In the lake~

I found him sitting on the rock we rested on earlier, with his legs dipped knee-depth in the water.

A cold night breeze blew and I shivered, wrapping my sweater tighter against me. It tousled my hair, and I peered at Zach through a thin film of my hair.

"Hey."

I didn't respond when he said it. Instead I sat beside him on the rock, but I didn't dip my legs in the water.

"Hey." I didn't look at his face so as to avoid looking in his eyes. "I came to say goodbye."

I felt him smirk."Three days with me and then you want to go to London. Gallagher Girl, I'm starting to doubt if you really love me."

That wasn't the reason at all, but I didn't say so.

"How did you know about London?"

Then the typical cryptic Zach reply."Spy."

"I expected that."I allowed myself a little smile.

He rolled his eyes."Of course you did."

I took a deep breath.

"Zach, about earlier...about my dad...,"I trailed off.

I felt him stiffen behind me.

"...it's okay,"I finished.

"I noticed."He said wryly."What I don't get is why you're being so damn _decent_ about it. It's not normal."

I felt annoyed again."You know why. Don't make me say it again."

"Cammie?"

"What?"

Before I knew it, his lips crashed against mine, his hands crept under my sweater until my breast was bare in his hand except for my bra.

No fair. How was I supposed to think straight when he was using his very talented hands for very effective tactics of persuasion?

I pushed him away.

And felt my cheeks redden. This was _not _a part of the plan.

"What...was..._that_?"I said, straightening my sweater.

I bet I looked like hell. My hair was probably a rat's nest, and my lips probably looked bruised and damp. Hell, _I _probably looked bruised and damp.

He smirked and said with complete sincerity,"I'll let you leave, but it won't hurt to give you a little something to remember me by."

I blushed even deeper.

What the hell did he mean?

* * *

><p>R&amp;R!<p> 


	13. Chapter Eleven

**READ IT.**

**Ready for the wild side of Cammie?  
><strong>

* * *

><p>ZPOV<p>

~Still in the lake~

I gazed at her in the lake's reflection.

Her long caramel hair was down and kept being played with by the breeze. Her eyes, devoid of the silver flecks, was pure violet-bluish in color. Her long lashes made shadows down her pale cheeks cast by the bright moon.

Damn it, she looked so irresistible I wonder how I didn't jump her from the time I said 'Hey' to her.

That thought sent something...down South.

I took off my shirt and dove into the water. It was lukewarm, like it always is every night.

I heard Cammie call my name, asking what the hell I was doing.

Well, I _had_ to do something unless I wanted to die from the effort.

I resurfaced to the rock, and planted a patronizing smirk on my face."Wanna go for another swim?"

She just stood there with an amused look on her face.

"Is this the little 'something' you wanted to give?" she asked.

"Probably. I thought you knew I was kidding." I teased, and splashed her with a spray of water.

She shrieked. Wiping her face with her hand, she threw a rock at me.

I laughed, and swam away from the shore to avoid being hit.

"Cammie, are you coming in?" I asked.

"I don't have a swimsuit." She called.

I laughed again."You don't need one."

A devilish smile crept across her face as she pulled her sweater over her head, exposing a thin gray camisole. I could see her bra through the fabric.

I couldn't tear my eyes away.

She pulled off her jeans. She wore nothing but a cute pair of boyshorts underneath them.

Then she took off her shoes and dived into the water.

* * *

><p>~CPOV~<p>

~Still in the lake~

The water was warm, inviting. I saw Zach's profile under the water.

Thoughts ran through my head.

_Is this what I want?_

Very stupid question.

_Yes, of course. I love him. What could be better than to lose my virginity to him?_

I resurfaced a meter away from him.

Next thing I knew, he was kissing me so hard that I felt like dying.

I kissed him back.

_God, I'll miss him._

He dragged me up on the rock on the other side of the lake. It's rough surface scratched my back, but I didn't care.

He shifted so somehow, I was lying on top of him. I traced the planes of his hard chest, trailing my fingers lightly over them.

I heard him groan. His hands found the hem of my shorts.

One of his hands cupped my butt, the other fingered the clasp of my bra.

"Zach..."I breathed against his lips."I love you..."

"Nice to hear you say it again." He whispered back.

This time, I was the one who kissed him first.

Fire coursed through my veins.

It felt good.

I placed a trail of kisses along his sharp jawline, to his neck.

His fingers figured out how to work the clasp and then my bra fell off.

The fire burned brighter than ever. I started panting.

He looked at them, then at my face.

"So beautiful." He murmured then pulled me in for another smoldering kiss.

We rolled off the rock into the grass.

His lips traced the bridge of my nose, moving to my cheekbones, to my chin, to my neck, and to my chest.

I caught my breath.

I felt cloth tear under his hands.

I kissed him again as we made love under the stars for the first time.

* * *

><p><strong>Crappy ending I know.<strong>

**Is this OK? R&R?**

**Sorry for the late update, by the way.**

**~ChameleonZ**


	14. Announcement

May 2014

Nice weather today. I'm in Fed Suare, my back to a stone bench thingie, listening to some random band. The weathrer's so nice.

Hey guys! I've decided to start writing again! It's been three years since I've uploaded Chapter 11, and I'm sorry.

I have been living in Australia for two years now, and I'm really starting to like it here, in Melbourne. People are so laid-back and easygoing; but we're moving to Albany next year, hopefully the last time we're ever going to move. Because, to be honest, I'd love to settle down. But like hell, I'm going to miss it here!

Sorry. Anyway, it's weird, continuing a fanfic I began when I was twelve (I'll be 16 this 2014!), but I have been so relaxed, I feel unusually optimistic about this one, ahaha!

I don't know _exactly,_ but I have a feeling that about 99% of the people who read the last Gallagher Girl book are unsatisfied with the way it ended, including me. It was just too much of a rip-off, and nothing exactly happened! Cam's dad wan't even alive! The hell?

So, for you 99%s, I'm going to recreate Zach and Cammie's story, starting from here. I have an awesome plot (don't ask, 'cuz I'm not telling!) that will soooo blow your minds! I guarantee that.

Lastly and most importantly, thank you to those people that are reading this even after three years of nothing. This one's for you! Before, I've always asked and asked for reviews, but now, I'm going to write because I want to write : ) But hey, don't let me stop you!

And also, to my friend Khadija, who made me realize I love to write and should share it to the world.

Ladies (and gents) read on!


	15. Chapter Twelve

I woke to a snowflake touching my cheek.

We lay tangled under our clothes, that he had draped over us as I fell asleep last night, exhausted, but happier than I've ever been in my entire existence. My hair was slightly damp, and the grass tickled my bare skin. My body felt sore, and throbbed in places I didn't even know about.

Then there was his steady heartbeat, the curve of his neck, the firm arms wrapped around me, pressing my bared breasts to his chest. Messy dark hair that I know feels like silk, long, boyish eyelashes, beautiful proportions.

Sculpted lips that kiss so hungry and taste so wonderful. For a moment I forgot about my aching body and felt like I could fly.

_Did last night really happen?_ It must have, but I kissed him anyway, in case this was all a dream and I would wake up, cold and alone on another plane, with no one to chase my loneliness away.

Zach kissed me back, and I jerked back in surprise. His eyes were bright with laughter. "I almost fell back asleep waiting for you to wake up."

_It wasn't a dream!_

"Zach." I felt a million times happier just saying his name.

He pulled me back down, brushing my lips, softly,. Heat spread like a wave through me, his fingers stroking my back, leaving lingering trails of fire on my skin.

His lips in my hair, tracing the lines of my face, gentle hands tilting my head back to bury his face in the hollow of my neck. "Cammie, oh God I love you."

"I love you too," I whispered against his lips, meaning it with all my being.

_But we have to forget all this when we wake up._

Even in my blissed-out state, I couldn't ignore that. I forced my arms to pull me away from him. I stared straight into his jade eyes, and I could see that he knew what I was going to say next.

"If I tell you to get away from me and leave me alone, will you listen?"

Zach touched my face. "Don't be stupid. I'm coming with you even if you napotine-patch me again. I'm coming even if you chop my legs off and dump me in the ocean."

"You won't live through your twenties."

"I don't care."

"You'll be staying in a lot less comfortable places."

"I've been in plenty of 'uncomfortable' places in my life, and you know that."

Softly, I said, "You'll have to tell me everything. No more secrets, no more lying. If you think it's going to put me in danger, then I have more right to know. Okay? You have to trust me, Zach."

He looked at our intertwined hands, not moving. "Zach?" I asked uncertainly. Oh no, did he hear what I said? "Za-"

His eyes flashed back to mine suddenly, brimming with an unfamiliar expression. "I trust you with my_ life_. But can you trust _me_, Cammie?", he whispered, so low I almost missed it.

Even when you know what my mother is? You still don't know the things that I know, that I don't tell you. I've put your life in danger every time we've been together. All that, can you still say you trust me?"

I slapped him across the face, hard, my hand stinging like hell. I recognized the look on his face now. It was honest, brittle, vulnerability, and I saw that he had been always been blaming himself for a lot of things he wasn't even in control of. I've seen vulnerable before; I saw it this morning in the mirror above the sink, when I thought I'd have to leave him again.

Vulnerable looks so strange on his face, that's why I didn't recognize it at first. But hell!

Why is he being so . . . so. . . so _ridiculous?_

"Of course I trust you!" I growled through my teeth. Zach looked too stunned to say anything, and there was a red mark on his cheek.

You can't help being raised by that woman! You're going to tell me _everything_ if you want to come with me anyway. You've _saved _my life every time we met; my life has always been in danger since I could talk, so it's not like there's any difference. It's part of being a spy, goddammit! Stop being such an idiot!"

Zach watched me, his lips slightly open. His eyes were bright, more alive somehow, more… free. They were full of warmth, and (I know this sounds cheesy but bear with me) love. My breath caught. I've never seen him like this open, even last night when I collapsed on his chest and fell asleep saying his name. Looking at him, you wouldn't even think he has a poker face, let alone be (in)famous for it. Then he smirked.

"You really trust me?"

"That's what I just said, didn't I?" I huffed.

He pulled me close and ran his gaze over my boobs. I blazed red, but I didn't cover them. My dignity was at stake here! But I still remember the way he touched them, stroking and pulling on the sensitive parts with his teeth, and the lightning that spread through me.

He reached for them now, stroking my nipples with his thumbs. I'm sweating now, and I clamped my lips to keep from panting.

Zach looked at me, a wicked look in his face.

"Really, really?"

"Wipe that smirk off your face."

"Yesterday you said you loved me, now you say you trust me. Or are you saying you do 'cause you just _loved _how I was last night, and want to keep me around as your boy toy. You heartless wench!"

I laughed, and put my arms around his neck to whisper in his ear, "Boy toy? Where'd you get that from?"

But he was too busy carrying me inside, and on the bed, and soon I was too busy kissing him to ask for an answer.

X

**A/N: So! I've thought of doing a little more *cough* detail, but it seemed a bit too early in my return for that *coughcough* **

**Maybe when this story gets more popular I will. Sooo howwasit?**

Three hours later, we were showered and fully dressed, bags packed, weapons loaded, a fast emptying half-full box of Krispy Kremes. We sat beside each other, with the laptop open and papers in piles around us on the floor.

"So why Egypt? I thought we were going to London." Zach said, reaching for his twelfth donut.

Me, I was on my tenth. "I didn't say we were going to London. It's your fault for assuming."

"And you let me think I was right. I'd say you're not completely blameless either."

"That was just in case I had to get you in the wrong plane again."

"Hell," he said with grudging admiration and kissed my neck. I laughed and nudged him away. I had to concentrate! "I'm glad you didn't go without me," he murmured.

I smiled. "Me too. Anyway, see this here?" I pointed to a typed document, the one with the photos of my father. "It says, _'taken in Egypt, but the papers weren't on his person.'_ The report says they think my father sneaked it to an acquaintance in Cuba, but I think it's still somewhere in Egypt, Cairo I think. Dad did it by actually sending them to an acquaintance in the Amazons, who was a travelling journalist, who hid them in an artifact in Meret Basha."

"How did you know that? There wasn't even a mention of the journalist anywhere, " he said, motioning to the papers in front of us.

I waved the blue notebook in his face. "This."

"Ohh, I forgot about that. So what else does it say?"

"I only got up to the journalist part. I still have to de-code the rest. Her name's Naomi Deveaux. Black hair, tanned, pale green eyes, aged 40 as of now, divorced with two kids, of Egyptian and French mix. She's working in the museum now, and her nephew's a maintenance worker in the museum too."

"Naomi Deveaux." Zach frowned. "I've heard about a Naomi before, but I didn't get her last name. Solomon mentioned her when he was telling me about a honeypot mission in Marrekesh, and he met her at a brothel. Said she was a pretty sharp lady. He had this look on his face, though. I think they had an affair."

I grinned. "Wow. Solomon tells you about his missions, huh. Like storytelling?" In my head, I saw a five-year-old Zach looking at Mr. Solomon with huge green eyes, and saying "What happensh next? Tell meee!" with a kid voice. It wasn't as hard to imagine it now.

Zach ruffled my hair and started gathering up the papers. "Joe's like a father to me. He tried to give me a childhood when my mother insisted on 'training' me. I don't know who my real father is. Or was. I know my mother knows, and she doesn't talk about him, and I was always too scared to ask. I don't even know his name, but she used to look at me at times and turn away like she's seen a ghost. I think I remind her of him. But I know he's still out there, somewhere; I just have this feeling, y'know?"

"Yeah," I said softly, "I know exactly what you mean." I looked at the time; 3:17. We had to get on the road in fifteen minutes if we want to make it in time for our flight.

I split the last donut in half and offered it to Zach, annoyed at the stupid blush I felt coming to my cheeks."I'm happy you told me about your father. See? We do have some things in common."

He pinched my nose. "I promised to tell you everything, remember?"

I kissed him.

X

An hour later, we were coming out to the highway from a dirt road on a blue, rusty Chevy, speeding through the mountains. The radio was crackling some country music, and the heater was on. The sun was setting and I got sleepy from watching the light filtered through the trees, and the thin layer of snow that got thicker as we went further north.

Zach drove, sometimes humming along to the beat, and looking at me when he thought I fell asleep.

"Watch the road. I don't want to miss the flight 'cause you wrecked the car."

Zach just smiled and offered me a bag of M&M's from the dashboard. The ones with no peanuts.

I told him I hate nuts in my chocolate and he was horrified. We argued about whether cheese tastes green or orange. I found out that he hates red bean paste from when a Japanese instructor gave him some ( not that the instructor was bad, but the stuff was just too sweet). We discussed the best way to choke someone; personally, I prefer pressing my thumbs real hard on the larynx, Zach preferred to just crush the whole thing (I know- must be his education). He taught me a few words of Somali, which is one of the languages that I haven't learnt yet. One of my favorite songs went up in the radio, and we (tried to) sing along but ended up arguing again about who sang the worst rendition of the Spice Girl's 'xxxi wanna'.

It was just us, speeding through the Himalayas talking over instant coffee and sandwiches, watching the sun's setting rays set fire to the newly fallen blanket of snow.

X

**Yayy! Zach's comi-i-ing! I can write all I want to now about his hotness! **

**Haha :3**

**Whaddaya think? Fan, Vote, Comment! **

**Love ya guys! On to the next chapter!**

**XOX, mwah!**


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